[veggienut]

Hi all.
Am new to this site!

Last September I thought I would help out in my childs school and start a vegetable garden. The reception children thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. We all did!
I am back again helping a new reception class and need some advice.
Last time we planted runner beans, tomatoes, lettuces etc. The beans were very successful. During the school holidays the vegetable plot was neglected. Some damage was done by foxes etc.
Going back in this week, do I clear it all, putting it in the composter, or do I leave things like the tomato plants and beans ? I thought it best to rotate?
What can I grow now? Also next spring I would like to plant as much as we can, however I need to harvest before the third week in July. any ideas?

[WG.]

What can I grow now?

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[veggienut]

Hi.
 Any advice would be really useful!

[Aidy]

Ow Do. I do the reception class vege garden at our local school, we try to keep it organic but not a strict organic as we use animal manure. Over the last couple of years I learnt it is best to grow veg that is quick growing and one I can start at home and transplant as when we have sown seeds the beds tend to get dug up before they germinate where as if they can see the plants they stay clear of them, also if they start them at school it creates more interest, the big problem is during the summer it is locked up so if it is a dry one I cant water. Salad crops, early spuds and some beans are the main veg I grow with them. We have 4 8x4ft beds. Now I have re-read your post, yes I will go in this monday and dig the bed over including any anual weeds, also over the next few months I will dig any organic material I can, then in Feb I will put the main manure in ready for March planting.

[veggienut]

Hi. Thankyou so much for the tips.

It is so difficult because the children want to see something growing quickly! The teachers are just as bad! Like I said alot of the crops last year were ruined because I couldn't get into the school as it was shut for the summer holidays.

I will try potatoes. Have not done that yet.

 Are tomatoes perenial? Should I leave them. sorry for being an idiot!

[gobs]

Hello Veggie and welcome,

We do garden club with Y1 and Y2, on a personal choice bases. Last winter we did new potatoes in compost bags, which was the biggest success, overwintering broad beans and indoors bulbs in glasses and sprouting seeds, which most of them ate from sprouters, would you believe!
Not too much that you can do in the winter though.  If you are somewhere south in a sheltered location, you can still try on a few hardy(winter veriety) and fast growing crops, salads, etc. esp with a bit of protection.
Good luck!  

[muntjac]

tomatos are not perrenial pull them up now and compost the stalks etc and put any green ones on a window sill to ripen

[veggienut]

Hi.

Great Stuff. Thanks for your help. Will try the New potatoes and the sprouting seeds.

Can I ask one more thing, I have heard that there are companies supplying the funding for Veg plots. Not sure how true this is?

[Bigbadfrankie]

Sutton do a kids set nof seeds they grow and develop fast so the kids dodnt get bored. I do all i can to bore my granchildren an nicecs and nephews. so I get them planting Oak trees  :twisted:

[gobs]

Oh, Frankie a laugh,but me mum was planting oak tree with me,it hooked me for life.  

[milkman]

have a look on the www.gardenorganic.co.uk website - they have a schools section which you may find useful.

one veg to try next year may be to grow your own popcorn - organic gardening catalogue has seed for strawberry popcorn - grow exactly as for sweetcorn except the plants are a bit smaller (the kids could each start a seed off in a pot), leave the cobs on the plant as long as possible into the autumn but when weather starts getting damp and yucky pick the cobs and dry them indoors (i did mine on a warm windowsill then airing cuboard).  to make the popcorn place whole cob in a microwave for just over a minute or so until the popping stops.

[milkman]

another veg to try may be drying beans - something like barlotta - grows up a wigwam, has very brightly coloured decorative pods, and again if plants are well mulched, can be abandoned over the summer holidays and harvested in the autumn when the pods start drying on the plants.

[Annie]

I think you should work on gaining access to the plot during the summer holidays because there are lots of crops that the children can plant out in june/july that will be ready in September,broccolli and pumpkins/sqash,carrots,parsnips.Early strawberries in a window box could be worth a try,you can always take this home in july.Also don`t forget herbs,my 4yr old loves smelling the leaves and learning which you can eat also quick flowering flowers to attract bees.

[veggienut]

Hi All.
Again thankyou so much for all the tips.
Went in this morning and cleared the whole area. The new reception class were sooooooo excited about it. I really want to find out about funding. I know Duchy originals have some tips etc and are recruiting schools, also heard about other companies. Does anyone know how it all works?
The children learn so much through it. We talked about slugs, snails and worms etc. Some of the kids were reluctant to get their hands dirty.
I brought in a composter last year , kids love the idea of all the worms working thier MAGIC!!

Gonna try some potatoes next week. The pop corn is a brilliant idea! Want to try some fruits too.

[Esme]

This sounds like so much fun I may see about setting up a couple of gardens in the schools I work with: Thanks for the ideas. . .